


Drowning

by AmberBenetton



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Swimming, Dating, Falling In Love, Flirting, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru Fluff, Lifeguard Iwaizumi Hajime, Love, Love at First Sight, M/M, Muscles, Mutual Pining, POV Iwaizumi Hajime, Pining Iwaizumi Hajime, Pre-Olympics, Swimmer Oikawa Tooru, Swimming Boys, Swimming Pools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:33:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberBenetton/pseuds/AmberBenetton
Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime, working as a lifeguard now in order to pay his rent and bill.He has been the best in the Lifeguard Training.But one thing, they have not taught him: What drowning feels like.Being dragged down by a strong current, called Oikawa Tooru.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Kudos: 28





	Drowning

New Day. New Life. New Job.

That is exactly, how Iwaizumi Hajime‘s week begins.  
Of course, he is a little bit nervous. Just that typical kind of nervousness, when you will be the newbie of a team.  
Although Iwaizumi is really confident in his skills – especially as he has been the best of his class in swimming and also going for the highest rank among the lifeguard exam candidates – he still cannot hide the fact that he always gets too excited at new beginnings.

So here he is, standing in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium – swimming section – and gets himself a guide tour by his colleague and mentor Utsui Takashi.

“I’m sure, you’ll get along well with the others,” the bearded lifeguard promises with a smile, as they stand right in front of the entrance of the pool.  
  
Iwaizumi nods and then the other is suddenly called by another colleague to come over.  
  
“Ah, would you just wait for a moment? I just have to sign something.”

Another nod and here he is… left alone.  
Iwaizumi lets his eyes wander. It is not his first time standing in that building. Actually, his own college swimming classes has been held here.  
Still, it is pretty impressive, knowin g that the Olympic team is practising here and that the tribune for the audience will be filled in another year, too.  
He decides to take a look at the equipment room, as he should make himself familiar anything, as suddenly a warm, male voice calls him,

“Excuse me?”

He turns around and looks at the tall and much more handsome young athlete who has put on a polite smile as he is holding out a key in his hand.

“I think, someone lost this,” he explains, “Found it while diving.”

Iwaizumi’s dark-green eyes stares at the stranger – or to be more precisely at his too perfect pectoralis muscles, combined with broad shoulders and not to be ignored nicely shown off abs. Fortunately, he could disguise his attention as if he looks at the key, as it is on the same eye level, and takes it from his wet hand.

“T-Thank you. I’ll hand it over to the office.”

“You’re welcome” the swimmer says, nods in satisfaction and passes him to start from the other end of the pool, continuing his training.  
  
Iwaizumi could not help it, but watch him… watch his toned back, the arm muscles... the fine dimples right above the tight swimming pants, and… the thighs. God, _these thighs_. The perfect shaped hamstrings and the perfect shaped butt… And the small waterdrops, which run from his hairline, exposed under the swim cap.

He almost drops the key as his heart is dropping, too.

And he really does as Utsui is calling him again, returning from whatever he had to do.

\---

The next days, Iwaizumi is too busy with his own work to look for that stranger, again.

Utsui is a great mentor, teaching him all the necessary stuff he has to know: Administrations, the internal regulations, schedules and other stuff… but therefore, his memos is full with new bullet points and also, he notices, that being a lifeguard is not only to just keep watching and doing some cleaning. Stuff, they had not told him during the course.  
  
But maybe, it is exactly what it needed, so fate can take place.  
  
“Would you mind, checking the locker 103?” he is asked by another workmate, almost his age, and of course, Iwaizumi would not let him down, as he is the newbie to do all these kinds of tasks. At least, if it is only once in a while and not everyday.  
  
He goes into the changing room, passing the shower section  which is occupied at the moment, as he hears it by the tingling of water, reaching the hard floor,  and turns to the left, going to the first third of the lockers. 103… 103… Ah, here it is!  
Iwaizumi opens the locker, closes it. Yeah… broken. The lock does not work correctly. 

He leaves it open, writing down the technical failure on the repair checklist he was given and doing his Xs on the list, date, signature.  


“You are new, aren’t you?”

Iwaizumi almost shrieks about the sudden voice, coming from behind and he twirls around, looking quite shocked.   
And he is… guess, who is standing right in front of him: the stranger from a week ago.

Coming from the shower, having a towel around his hips, holding the swim cap and pants in his hand and gosh – has he actually become more handsome than before?

“I’ve been training here for four years, now, and haven’t seen you once” he continues with his polite smile, trying to initiate some easy small-talk.

Greeting him politely, Iwaizumi nods, but avoids looking at him, because as the stranger passed him, going to the locker right next to the broken one, he lets the towel drop from his hips. 

“Yes, just started last week.”

“Lifeguard?”

“Yeah.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr Lifeguard. I’m Oikawa Tooru,“ the stranger now introduces himself while drying off, showing him a grin.  
And of course Iwaizumi glances over. Maybe everybody would, because… who would actually self-introduce without having at least on his boxers right?  
So starting to answer with a “Iwaizumi Hajime, it is. Likewise” he could not go any further, regretting to have looked, immediately: Oikawa has just lifted a leg on the bench, using another towel but has not put on anything, yet.  
It is not that the most intimate area of his body is to be seen but… but!!  
Big mistake.

“W-well... until next time!” Iwaizumi rushes out of the changing room, red from ear to ear.   
Leaving back an irritated professional swimmer…

Chuckling, the pool staff ’s newest  member has wakened his curiosity.  
Iwaizumi Hajime… A strong name. As it speaks for itself, he has chosen the right place to be here. Although he had noticed, that the young man with the spiky dark hair did not pay attention the last week, Oikawa clearly has.  
How his muscles work, bringing stuff out and in the tool’s room. How his leg muscles looks like, doing the cleaning in these knee-height shorts, part of the working unform. How the white polo shirt is simply too tight for him in wide, because of the well shaped pec. Maybe Iwaizumi does not know this, but he really is an appetizer for the eyes.

And as Oikawa has not seen him being picked up by a girl or anyone else, whenever he has left – there has been several times his shift just end at the same time as Oikawa’s practise – he is curious about the rest of the new lifeguard. If… he is more than that. Maybe a whole  five-course dinner?

Therefore, Oikawa does his best in getting his attention, whenever he meets Iwaizumi. Doing som excessive stretching, right in his field of vision. Relaxing with his arm rest on the caps of the pool, when he is walking by. Drinking some water in a standing position while Iwaizumi is talking to his colleague. Rubbing the water off his neck... because he knows that the handsome lifeguard’s eyes are also all on him. He has caught him once. Just in the blink of an eye, Iwaizumi has glanced over – Oikawa is bending down, stretching his hamstrings. Of course, the observer has tried to hide his staring and thought that he was successful...

Furthermore, Iwaizumi could not help it but keep watching him. He tells himself to stop it, to ignore him, but the way, he meets Oikawa – by accident? No way! - every single day now… makes him suspicious. It does not matter if it is in front of the gymnasium, in the changing room, in the entry hall or here, seeing him during his training. He sees him too often as if that could be a coincidence anymore!

However… he cannot stop watching!!   
During Oikawa’s swimming practise, how he is crawling, showing the perfect sideline of his shoulder and torso. During stretching, seeing these proper thighs are prepared right for performance… God, and just right now, he wants to be the cool water around him, crushing in waves against Oikawa’s body. Being the water, which is running over his shoulders, over his cheeks and lips. 

What is wrong with him???  
  


\---

Another day passes, another day where he punishes himself mentally for his thoughts.  
This is not good. This is not good that he could not even focus on his task, writing down the protocol of the team’s meeting as it comes to _prevention_ , _training_ and _sports programme._

“ _Iwaizumi-san, everything’s alright?” he is asked by Utsui and flinches, looking up irritated and blinks, “You’re spacing out?”_

_His colleagues giggle, especially the female ones and makes him blush.  
“N-Nothing. J-Just slept badly…”  
He looks down on his list… prevention… focus on preventing swimming accidents and injuries by the right training - implementing it in the currents programme, esp. kids and teens._

_Yeah, right… Oikawa is also doing his training, preventing injuries by stretching and preventing getting sick by taking a hot shower after…_

“ _Iwaizumi-san?!”_

“ _I-I’m here!” The colleagues giggle even more and Iwaizumi sinks in his chair, only murmuring a “I’m totally awake now” and proceeds with his task._

Embarrassing…

“Iwa-chan!”

At first he is not taking it serious, that stupid nickname and walks on, through the door, into the fresh, nightly spring air.  
He has finished his shift and just wants to leave for home, burying himself deep into his blankets and forget about the incident today, forget about his stupid mind and forget about-

“Iwa-chan, wait!!”

Flinching, as it has to be him, whoever is calling to, because nobody else was on the pavement as Iwaizumi notices now, he recognizes the satin-like voice just a few seconds after. 

  
_  
No freaking way._

Turning around, he sees Oikawa is jogging towards him. He has finished practise, too, wearing his normal clothes now – a more tight jeans and a dark blue woolen coat, which ends right over his butt, some black sneakers but also a soft looking, crème coloured muffler. With his sports bag in his hands and the square glasses on his nose, he does not look like the too hot athlete anymore, but he still… looks hot. Shit.  
  
“What is it!?” Hajime asks, already feeling how he is blushing, just because he is remembering all of the moments he has seen him otherwise.  
  
Oikawa stops, still with some wet curls of his brown hair and smirks, as he finally got him to a hold,

“I have some questions,“ he exclaims, almost happily.  
  
“About what?”  
  
“About you.”

Iwaizumi blinks, looking all puzzled,  
“About me?”

_ What on earth does he want to know about him? _

He is just some ordinary man, earning some money with his part-time job as a lifeguard, so he could pay his rent of the student dormitory and is not too broken at the end of the month. So why should Oikawa, a professional athlete, interested in his career and his career only, get to know him better?

“Iwa-chan was watching me for the last days very carefully and I wonder why?” Oikawa asks then with a bright grin, and something in the way he holds his lips curled up, makes Iwaizumi go into stress-mode, ready to bail whenever he has to.

“T-that’s my job!” he tries to defend himself, “As I have to keep an eye on everyone, using the pool and so on.”  
  
“Aaah~” the brunette makes in understanding, maybe a little bit exaggerating, and nods. But his expression changes, he looks at the other guy now with amused and interested eyes, lets Iwaizumi’s heart almost stop.  
“So... it’s also part of your job to watch me stretching or... when I’m coming out of the shower?”

Oikawa approaches him, staying all silent, teases him a little bit as he could see, how the lifeguard’s body is reacting in anticipation, not knowing whether to flee or to stand his ground. Well, that’s exactly what he want to do… playing a little bit with his prey.

And Iwaizumi is hell of a good prey to begin with…

“Iwa-chan,” he begins again, but much softer now and without any mocking in his voice, “I want to know much more about you. Who you are and… why you can’t let your eyes of me.”

  
  
 _Oikawa Tooru, professional swimmer.  
Handsome face, great hair and a more than infatuating body he knows __very well_ _to show off.  
_ _Ready to win the next race._ _  
  
_  
  
“ Let’s go on a date!”  
  


_  
Iwaizumi Hajime,_ _sports science student for the master degree.  
Average face, average hair and maybe some muscles in his arms – at least this is his opinion of himself.  
Being asked _ _just so straightforwardly for a date._   
  


After he is done with staring at the man, who is observing him through his glasses so attentively, Iwaizumi gulps and knits his eyebrows in defence.  
Not wanting to show, how much he is affected by him. Not only today but since they have me.

“Never. Try another time, _Trashykawa_.”

He turns around, and is already about walking off.

“T-trashy...?! Iwa-chan!! How mean!!”

Oikawa will not give up. He never had! Else, he would not have made it to the position he is now: Japan’s hope for the Olympic gold metal next year.

“Then I’ll ask you tomorrow!” he promises, following the lifeguard, who has his hand hidden deep into his jacket’s pockets, not even throwing a glance over his shoulder again.

“Stop following me!! And stop calling me like that!” he shouts, annoyed now.

“Maybe, if you agree!”

“Never, you stalker!!”

“Iwa-chaaaan~”

“I said: stop it!!”

“Then agree that I can take you out for a date!!”

Oikawa has fastened his pace now and jumps right in front of Iwaizumi, grabbing him by his arms and approaching him so close, that the latter flinches back with his head.

“I promise, you won’t regret it!!”

“I sure will,” Iwaizumi murmurs, looking into the sparkling hazel brown eyes, which keeps staring at him, almost stabbing him.  
The grip of Oikawa’s hands is strong, but it does not hurt. It rather is… _comfortable_ , as his hands are warm and somehow are just having the right size to fit round his arm muscles.

Swallowing down the lump, which has grown in his throat, Iwaizumi still tries to act cool rolls his eyes and looking aside now.

“You’re such a spoilt and annoying kid! Are you really a professional swimmer?”

\---

Five days later.

Guess, who is waiting outside for Oikawa, finishing to get changed, so that they could grab something nice for dinner in one of the little restaurants in the nearby area.

Oikawa’s treat.  
As the brunette has forced him to agree he sure would pay for the torture, Iwaizumi has to go through.

“Iwa-chan!”

Starting with a set of Gyoza.

“Hurry up! It’s fucking cold, tonight!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this really short episode (that is why it has such a quick end), which came into in my mind as a head canon first and here we are.  
> I had fun writing, because I am usually not into quick stories, so it was really refreshing. <3


End file.
